At a time when you’re focused on getting in front of customers as quickly and as often as possible, it can be hard to think about official requirements like registering a business name or deciding on a legal structure. Still, now that you have decided to start a small business or buy an existing one, one of the first critical steps is determining the business entity that's right for you.
The router—The router is the master when it comes to flexibility. Its potential far exceeds trimming and decorative edge treatments. A router will cut mortises, rabbets, and dadoes, and adding a router table builds in even more versatility, including biscuit joinery and raised-panel doors. But where the router distinguishes itself from all other tools is in its ability to produce identical parts using a pattern.

I am working hard (or hardly working) on our master bathroom vanity! I spent the whole day in the garage on Monday, but it was such a mess from all the other projects I have been working on, so I spent the day cleaning and organizing instead of building. Now I have a place to build the vanity and this coming week there is nothing going on so I will also have time. I can almost smell the progress!

SBA provides support and tools to aspiring small business owners and in particular to minority-owned, women-owned, disadvantaged, and veteran-owned businesses, including a government-backed financing scheme to qualified participants. Local and state authorities also have a range of programs designed to encourage the growth of your small business. Make sure to research your local authority’s website.
So you stayed up all night, thought long and hard, and decided you want to name your designer sunglass hut The Sunny Rabbit. We don’t blame you, it’s a pretty cool name. Most would tell you that the next and most logical next step is to register your business as a DBA or at the state level. But, we’re here to tell you that’s wrong! Here’s why. We just talked about how the right business name can make or break your brand identity and in today’s digitally connected world, securing your brand identity across the web is equally as important.
Hand tools offer the finesse and precision you just can’t get with anything else. There’s a sense of satisfaction you get from working the wood rather than machining it. After all isn’t that why you got into woodworking? Again there are a vast array of tools but narrow it down to a core range and you’ll have the confidence to complete a number of jobs.
After you are done narrowing down your list of business goals, you are now ready to plan out when they will be accomplished. Just remember, nothing is set in stone so if you need to remove or add something to your business goals later down the road, that's okay. It happens to me ALL THE TIME. Sometimes our priorities shift or things didn't go as planned and you need to make changes.
Inventory management — especially when first starting a small business — at its most basic level consists of counting how many of a given product (let’s say apples) you have for sale in the morning, keeping track of that number, then reducing it by one each time an apple is sold. At the end of the sales day, you count the leftover apples and make sure the number of apples in your inventory system matches whatever you actually have in store. When you have an accurate apple count, you call your supplier and order as many as you need to make sure you have enough on hand for the next day.
If you don’t have the time (or interest!) in building your own conversion but you still want to give van life a test drive, we’ve got an idea for you! We’d recommend getting a rental vehicle from Escape Campervans. They have 10 different locations across North America and come fully loaded with all the gear you need for an epic road trip. Plus, their rates are fair and affordable.
While an electric miter saw is a convenience, it is not necessary to do good work. A quality electric miter saw will run around $150-$200, that by itself would destroy our budget. A hand saw with a miter box does the job just as well at a fraction of the price. This highly rated Stanley ﻿version﻿ f﻿﻿or ~$60 should get the job done, albeit with a bit more elbow grease.
I don’t think you have run into this problem, but I have to deal with condensation in the cap as I live in a moist climate. I was thinking of an old van type roof vent with fan for active ventilation, or drilling holes along the side of the cap, inserting short cuts of pipe with fine screens (mozie land), and capping them. This way I could control for rain, cold, etc., but create some passive cross ventilation at roof level.
Garage spaces are usually not insulated, and garage doors on most homes have very poor insulation. That means it’ll inevitably be super hot and stuffy in the summer, and freezing cold in the winter. To be comfortable in your workshop you’ll need to take the extra step to insulate your garage and set up some space heaters, and some portable floor or window AC units. Having to wear a heavy coat while you work will impede your DIY efforts and nobody likes working in a sauna.
I look at these workshops and wonder if I'm the only woodworker that has other hobbies that require shop space. My one car garage serves for woodworking, motorcycle storage and maintenance and home repairs. I have a floor standing drill press, Band Saw, 10" cabinet saw, lathe, 6" jointer, 3 tier tool chest(automotive tools only) 4' workbench, mortiser on a pedistal, grinder on a 16" square storage cabinet, and a roll around 40"x22" cabinet that hold my miter saw, portable thickness planer and other storage. Luckily I have an attached shed where I can keep my dust collector and compressor and have them plumbed into the shop. Right now my snow blower also resides in the shop where otherwise my 450cc KTM off road motorcycle would. I need to step outside in order to change my mind so please stop teasing me with these to die for shops. Paul
We think that insulating your van’s floor is worth the minimal extra cost it adds to your build. The best floor insulation is ½” XPS foam board due to its high r-value per inch and its compressive strength. But a layer of Reflectix will add some insulation while taking away less headspace. We used Reflectix, but if we did it again we’d go with the foam board.